Spool winding mechanism for sewing machines



Feb. 20, 1962 R. E. JOHNSON 3,021,801

SPOOL WINDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Feb. 17, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. Ralph E. Johnson .2 WITNESS LL BY ymnw fiATTORNEY Feb. 20, 1962 R. E. JOHNSON 3,021,801 SPOOL WINDING MECHANISMFOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Feb. 17, 1960 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Fig.5

INVENTOR. Ralph E. Johnson WITNESS BY Fig 2 4 ay Liam,

TTORNEY t @fhce 3,9213% Patented Feb. 26, 1962 3,021,301 SPUGL WENEINGMECHANEM FGR SEWiN-G MAQHENES Ralph E. .iohnson, Mountainside, NIL,assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elisabeth, NJL, acorporation of New Jersey Filed Feb. 1'7, 196%, Ser. No. 9,339 it(Ziaims. (Ci. l12-23ib) This invention relates to lock stitch sewingmachines of the type having a reciprocatory needle and a looptaker inwhich is journaled a thread carrying bobbin, and

more particularly, to a spool winding mechanism for winding a supply ofthread for the needle directly from the bobbin in the loop-taker.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel spool windingmechanism for lock stitch sewing machines with which seams may bestitched readily and conveniently using only a single original source ofthread supply on the bobbin in the loop-taker.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel means forimmobilizing the needle and loop-taker, during the winding of bobbinthread on a spool, in a position favorable for passage of the bobbinthread to the spool.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel and convenientmeans for directing a thread from the bobbin in the loop-taker to thespool winding mechanism.

With tie above and other objects and advantages in view as willhereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinationsand arrangements of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

FIG. 1 represents a side elevational view of a sewing machine with aportion of the machine frame broken away and having the spool windingfeatures of this invention applied thereto,

FIG. 2 represents an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the worksupporting bed of the sewing machine of FIG. 1 at the stitching point,

H6. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along line3-3 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan of a portion of the top cover of the sewingmachine of FIG. 1, viewed from the underside, and illustrating the spoolwinding mechanism carried by the top cover plate, and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the spool supportingspindle taken substantially along line 55 of FIG. 4 and illustrated inthe upright position as occupied in FIG. 1.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, this invention isembodied in a sewing machine having a frame including a bed 11 adaptedto support work fabrics during stitching. Rising from the bed is thestandard portion 12 of a bracket arm 13 which overhangs the bed. Carriedfor substantially vertical reciprocation in the bracket arm is a needlebar 14- having secured thereto a thread carrying needle 15. Also carriedin the bracket arm are needle thread controlling means including athread take-up lever 16, a thread tensioning device 17, which ispreferably of the type in which the tension applied to the thread may beadjusted and released completely, and a series of thread guidesincluding a guide 18 for directing a thread between a source of supplyand the thread tension device, a guide 19 between the tension device andthe take-up, and guides 26 and 21 for directing the thread between thetake-up and the needle.

An arm shaft 31} journaled in bearings in the bracket arm is operativelyconnected to actuate the endwise reciprocatory needle bar and theoscillating take-up lever. A driving connection (not shown) is providedbetween the arm shaft 3% and a bed shaft 31 for turning the bed shaft attwice the speed of rotation of the arm shaft. Secured to the bed shaftfor cooperation with the needle in the formation of lock stitches is aloop-taker 34 preferably of the type known in the art as a rotary hookin which a thread carrying bobbin 35 is journaled therein and aboutwhich bobbin the loop-taker carries successive loops of thread from theendwise reciprocating needle in the formation of lock stitches.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sewing machine bed in the vicinity ofthe stitching point is preferably fitted with a replaceable throat plate4% formed with a needle aperture 41 through which the endwisereciprocable needle penetrates. The needle aperture could be formeddirectly in the bed but for the considerable wear at this point whichdictates the use of a replaceable throat plate. The throat plate is alsoformed with a thread accommodating slot 42 leading from the exposed edge43 thereof, which is flush with the front edge 44 of the bed, to theneedle aperture 41. A hinged extension 45 pivoted to the front edge ofthe bed may be provided to augment the work supporting surface in whichcase an excess recess 46 for the operators finger tips is providedadjacent to the opening of the thread accommodating slot in the throatplate.

In accordance with the objects of this invention the thread from thebobbin which is in place in the looptaker may be directed convenientlythrough the thread accommodating slot and into the needle aperture inthe throat plate for threading through the eye of the needle and throughthe thread controlling means in a direction opposite that which thethread controlling means is usually threaded.

For winding bobbin thread on a spool to be used subsequently as needlethread in the formation of lock stitches, the mechanism of thisinvention utilizes the hand wheel Stl of the sewing machine as a drivingdevice. The hand wheel is journaled on the arm shaft 30 and carries aworm wheel 51 which is in mesh with a worm 52 on a motor shaft in themachine standard. A clutch device controlled by a clamping screw 53serves for at will locking or unlocking the hand wheel on the armshaft30. The clutch device may be of the type disclosed in detail in theUnited States patent of Peets No. 2,617,375, November 11, 1952, to whichreference may be had for a complete understanding of its operation.

Carried in the bracket arm 13, and preferably in a top cover plate 69which is secured on the bracket arm by screws such as that illustratedat 61, is a lever 62 which is fulcrummed on the top cover plate by afulcrum screw 63. Journaled in one extremity of the lever on an axisparallel to that defined by the fulcrum screw is a spool supportingspindle 641. A platform 65 is formed on the spindle for sustaining aspool 66, and a locking pin 67 is provided on the platform for locking aspool for rotation therewith. A driving wheel 68 is formed on thespindle and accommodates a flexible ring 69 adapted to contact the handwheel to drive the spindle.

The .lever 62 is formed with a spring receiving track 70 extending oneach side of the fulcrum screw 63. Slidable along the track is therounded extremity of a spring finger '71 which is anchored on a controlmember 72 that is slidable transversely across the top cover plate inways 73. The spring finger bears against the track 70 with substantiallypoint contact and may be shifted selectively by the machine operator byWay of a finger grip '74 on the control member to one side or the otherof the fulcrum screw as to turn the lever and bias the spool supportingspindle selectively either into or out of engagement with the hand whee7 Also carried by the control member 72 is a depending stop finger 75which is shiftable into and out of operative engagement with a stop camlug 76 secured for rotation with the arm shaft 34). The stop finger ispositioned on the control member so as to occupy a position ininterlocking relation with the stop cam lug when the spring finger 71bears against the lever 62 between the fulcrum screw 63 and the spoolsupporting spindle, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the actuating mechanismfor the stitch forming instrumentalities will be locked in stoppedposition when the spool supporting spindle is in driven engagement withthe hand wheel. Furthermore the stop cam lug 76 is preferably securedangularly on the arm shaft 30 in a position such that in the stoppedposition, the needle will occupy a raised position out of the needleaperture 41 in the throat plate.

The sewing machine of this invention may be operated in the conventionalmanner, that is, by threading the needle and needle thread controllingmeans with thread from a prewound spool and inserting a prewound bobbinin the loop-taker.

The sewing machine may also be operated in a novel manner which ishighly advantageous for many sewing operations. Starting with only aprewound bobbin 35 which is inserted into the loop-taker, the operatorshifts the control member 72, by means of the finger grip 74, into theposition illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The spring 71 will thus beshifted toward the spool supporting spindle 64 and the spindle will bemoved into driving relation with the hand wheel, and the stop finger 75will move into the path of the stop cam lug 76 on the arm shaft. Thestitch forming instrumentalities of the sewing machine will thus bestopped in the position illustrated in H6. 1 in which the needle israised out of the needle aperture in the throat plate. The bobbin threadleading from the bobbin in the loop-taker may then be threaded throughthe throat plate slot 42 into the needle aperture 41 therein, throughthe needle eye, the thread controlling means and onto a spool 66 on thespool supporting spindle. By releasing the hand Wheel clutch onloosening of the knurled clamp screw 53, the stitch forminginstrumentalities will remain at rest and the hand wheel may be rotatedunder power to wind thread directly from the bobbin 35 on the spool 66.The stopped position of the stitch forming instrumentalities is thatmost favorable for the passage of thread therethrough and the threadtensioning device may also be released in a known manner, as by fullyraising the presser-foot, to favor passage of thread from the bobbin tothe spool.

When sufficient thread has been wound on the spool to complete thecontemplated stitching operation, the control member 72 is shifted to aposition in which the spring 71 contacts the track 70 at the oppositeside of the fulcrum pin from the spindle 74, thus shifting the spindleout of driving relation with the hand wheel. Simultaneeously, the stopfinger 75 will be shifted out of the path of the stop cam lug 76 on thearm shaft. The hand wheel clutch is re-engaged by tightening the clampscrew 53 and the tension device 17 is reestablished. The sewing machineis then ready for resumption of a stitching operation in theconventional manner.

This invention provides for particularly advantageous use in domestictype sewing machines of pre-wound bobbins. Heretofore, the domesticsewing machine user has been obliged to purchase spools of thread andeach sewing operation required winding of thread from a selected spoolonto a bobbin and threading of the loop-taker and the needle withseparate threads from the bobbin and the spool respectively. With asewing machine built in accordance with this invention however, theoperator need only insert a prewound bobbin of desired color and sizethread into the loop-taker, direct the thread to the spool windingmechanism, and by operation of the machine as above described, ready themachine for sewing without the necessity for further manipulation of thethread.

A further advantage of this invention resides in the fact that since onecontinuous thread exists from the bobbin to the spool when the machineof this invention is in readiness for sewing operations, seams whichbegin at the edge of a fabric or garment will not have thread ends atthe beginning of the seams.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis: i

l. in a sewing machine having an endwise work penetrating needle, aloop-taker, actuating means operatively connecting said needle and saidloop-taker for cooperating movement in the formation of lock stitches, athread carrying bobbin journaled in said loop-taker, and a drive meansseparable at will from said actuating means, means for rotatablysupporting a thread spool on said sewing machine, an operator influencedcontrol member shiftable into and out of a position operativelyconnecting said drive means to rotate said thread spool supportingmeans, operator influenced means for positively stopping said actuatingmeans in a predetermined position of said needle and loop-taker, andmeans for rendering said positive stopping means etfective,simultaneously with movement of said operator influenced control memberinto a position operatively connecting said drive member to rotate saidthread spool supporting means.

2. In a sewing machine having an endwise work penetrating needle, aloop-taker, actuating means operatively connecting said needle and saidloop-taker for cooperating movement in the formation of lock stitches, athread carrying bobbin journaled in said loop-taker, and a drive meansseparable at will from said actuating means, means for rotatablysupporting a thread spool on said sewing machine, an operator influencedcontrol member shiftable into and out of a position operativelyconnecting said drive means to rotate said thread spool supportingmeans, interlock means for positively stopping said actuating means in apredetermined position of said needle and loop-taker, and means underthe influence of said control member for rendering said interlock meanseffective when said control member is shifted into a positionoperatively connecting said drive member to rotate said thread spoolsupporting means.

3. In a sewing machine having an endwise work penetrating needle, aloop-taker, actuating means including a shaft operatively connectingsaid needle and said looptaker for cooperating movement in the formationof lock stitches, a thread carrying bobbin journaled in said looptaker,a driven wheel journaled on said shaft, and operator influenced clutchmeans for operatively connecting and separating said driven wheel andsaid shaft, means for rotatably supporting a thread spool on said sewingmachine, an operator influenced control member shiftably supported onsaid sewing machine, means on said control member for drivinglyconnecting said driven wheel and said spool supporting means in oneposition of said control member, a cam lug fast on said shaft, and astop finger associated with said control member and dis posed in thepath of said cam lug in said one position of said control member forlocking said needle and loop-taker in a predetermined position whilesaid spool supporting member is drivinglyconnected with said drivenwheel.

4(ln a sewing machine having a frame, a work supporting throatplatecarried on said frame and formed with a needle aperture therein, aneedle supported in said frame at one side of said throat plate forendwise reciprocation through the needle aperture in said throat plate,a loop-taker journaled in said frame at the opposite side of said throatplate, a thread carrying bobbin journaled in said loop-taker, actuatingmeans including a shaft operatively connecting said needle and saidloop-taker for cooperating movement in the formation of lock stitches,and driving means for said actuating means, a spool supporting spindlecarried on said sewing machine frame, an operator influenced controlmember carried on said frame, means on said control member effective inone extreme position of adjustment thereof for establishing an operativeconnection between said driving means and said spool supporting spindle,and means for facilitating the winding on said spool supporting spindleof thread directly from the bobbin in said loop-taker comprising a stopcam fast on said shaft, and a stop finger associated with said controlmember and disposed in interlocking relation with said stop cam in saidone extreme position of said control member to lock said shaft in aposition in which said needle is out of said throat plate aperture.

5. In a sewing machine having a frame, a work supporting throat platecarried on said frame and having an exposed edge disposed flush with oneedge of said sewing machine frame, said throat plate formed with aneedle aperture therein and with a thread accommodating slot extendingfrom said, needle aperture to said exposed edge thereof, a threadcarrying needle supported in said frame at one side of said throat platefor endwise reciprocation through the needle aperture in said throatplate, needle thread controlling means carried on said frame, a

loop-taker journaled in said frame at the opposite side of said throatplate, a thread carrying bobbin journaled in said loop-taker, actuatingmeans including a shaft operatively connecting said needle and saidloop-taker for cooperating movement in the formation of lock stitches,and driving means for said actuating means, a spool supporting spindlecarried on said sewing machine frame, an operator influenced controlmember carried on said frame, means on said control member effective inone extreme position of adjustment thereof for establishing an operativeconnection between said driving means and said spool supporting spindle,and means for facilitating the winding on said spool supporting spindleof thread directly from the bobbin in said loop-taker comprising a stopcam fast on said shaft, and a stop finger associated with said controlmember and disposed in interlocking relation with said 1 stop cam insaid one extreme position of said control member to lock said shaft in aposition in which said needle is out of said throat plate aperture tofacilitate introduction and passage of a thread from said bobbin in saidloop-taker through said throat plate needle aperture, the threadcarrying needle and the needle thread controlling means to said spoolsupporting spindle for winding thereon.

6. In a sewing machine having a frame, an actuating shaft journaled insaid frame, a hand wheel journaled on said shaft, drive meansoperatively connected to rotate said hand wheel, and operator influencedclutch means for at will locking said shaft for rotation with said handwheel, a spool winding mechanism comprising, a lever, means defining afulcrum axis for said lever relatively to said sewing machine frame, aspool supporting spindle journaled on said lever at one side of saidfulcrum axis for bodily movement of said spindle into and out of drivingengagement against said hand wheel upon turning of said lever, springmeans bearing against said lever, means for 5 at will shifting saidspring means into engagement with said lever on a selected side of saidlever fulcrum axis, said last named means including an operatorinfluenced control member shiftably supported on said sewing machineframe, means on said control member supporting said spring means formovement therewith, and interlock means on said control member and onsaid shaft providing a predetermined stop position of said shaft whensaid control member occupies a position in which said spring meansbiases said spool supporting spindle into driving engagement with saidhand wheel.

7. In a sewing machine having a frame including a bed and a bracket armoverhanging said bed, a thread carrying needle carried for endwisereciprocation in said bracket arm, a loop-taker journaled in said bed, athread carrying bobbin journaled in said loop-taker actuating meansincluding an armshaft journaled lengthwise in said bracket armoperatively connecting said needle and said loop-taker for cooperatingmovement in the formation of lock stitches, a hand wheel journaled onsaid armshaft, means for driving said hand wheel, and clutch means forat will locking said arm shaft for turning movement with said handwheel, means for obtaining a supply of needle thread from said bobbin insaid looptaker comprising, a lever, means defining a fulcrum axis forsaid lever relatively to said bracket arm, a spool supporting spindlejournaled on said lever at one side of said fulcrum axis for bodilymovement of said sprindle into and out of driving engagement with saidhand wheel upon turning of said lever, a track formed along one side ofsaid lever, said track extending on both sides of said fulcrum axis, anoperator influenced slide member confined for movement across saidbracket arm adjacent to that side of said lever, spring means carried bysaid control means and bearing against said lever track, a stop cam faston said arm shaft, and a stop finger carried by said slide member anddisposed in the path of said stop cam when said slide member is shiftedto position the point of spring contact along said lever track betweensaid fulcrum axis and said spool supporting spindle.

8. A sewing machine as set forth in claim 7 in which said stop cam andsaid stop finger are timed to lock said arm shaft in stopped positionwith the needle in raised position of reciprocation.

9. A sewing machine as set forth in claim 8 in which the bed is formedwith a needle aperture for penetration by the needle in cooperating withthe loop-taker in the formation of lock stitches, and the bed is alsoformed with a slot terminating at one end at said needle aperture and atthe other end at an edge of said bed for convenient accommodation of athread from said bobbin in said loop-taker through said needle apertureand to said needle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS CanadaMar. 27, 1956

